The Howard University Board of Trustees on Friday set aside an honorary degree given to music and business entrepreneur and former student Sean “Diddy” Combs and returned the money he donated to the institution.
“The Howard University Board of Trustees voted unanimously today to accept the return by Mr. Sean Combs of the honorary degree conferred upon him in 2014,” the historically Black university said in a statement. “This acceptance revokes all honors and privileges associated with the degree. Accordingly, the board has directed that his name be removed from all documents listing honorary degree recipients of Howard University.”
Combs, who briefly attended Howard in the late 1980s, has been accused by several individuals in recent months of sexual assault and physical and verbal abuse. Federal authorities in March raided several of his properties as part of an ongoing investigation, but have not given any additional details.
The music mogul initially denied all the allegations, but soon apologized after a 2016 video surfaced last month of him beating singer and former girlfriend Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel. Ventura, who reportedly dated Combs off and on between 2007 and 2018, filed a civil suit against him in November, which was quickly settled.
Howard said Combs’ behavior was “fundamentally incompatible” with the university’s “core values and beliefs” and that he is “no longer worthy to hold the institution’s highest honor.”
“The university is unwavering in its opposition to all acts of interpersonal violence,” the statement said.
The board also directed the university administration to end a 2016 gift agreement with Combs, disband the scholarship program in his name, return his $1 million contribution and terminate a 2023 pledge agreement with the Sean Combs Foundation.
No payments toward the $1 million pledge have been due or made by the Sean Combs Foundation as of this date, therefore no funds are due to be returned under the 2023 pledge agreement, the statement said.
